Many have been complaining about the lack of snow in Colorado. Well from December to February we got lots of snow. There were some unusual warm ups in that span but within a week to a week and a half the snow returned. Then March our snowiest month hit and the faucet turned off. Bummer for resort powder hounds, bonus for backcountry users who have been eying big lines all year but needed to wait for them to stabilize. It had been warm all week, the snow pack was bonding and it was time to go chuting in the alpine.

We got a lazy start and didn't arrive at Berthoud until almost 9am. Geared up and headed West to climb to the top of the Continental Divide and take a look at No Name Peak. From the top of Mt Russel we saw a group of four going over to No Name. Bummed me out as I haven't done that line in two seasons now, and with four people it was going to be douched. Looking at the North Chutes on Russel, the smaller rock chutes were untouched. Of course everyone knows the best chuting there is, is chuting virgins. Doesn't get much more virgin than this.
Cody and I chuted her up.
That was nice.
^^^Photos by Forrest
Chris couldn't wait for me to get the camera out...
So I didn't get pics of him in the chute.
Forrest hiked one more chute over .
And chuted up some virgin pow.
Good chuting.

Next up. Y Chute.
Hey, I get to chute this one first too? Sweet!
Pictures by Forrest.
Again Chris didn't wait, and I screwed up on pics on this one.
Next was the Wishbone Couloir. I did this two years ago and it was definitely one of the best chutes on the pass. Arguably the best one, definitely top 3 that I've done. That year I did it I did the jagged right wishbone, this year I wanted to get the left bone. As per usual today it was untracked.
Unlike the other two chutes we had done, this one has not been touched much this year. The other chutes had been done at several different points to this season. This one, not so much. Very wild snow, it has seen little, maybe no traffic this year. I climbed down into and dug a pit to look at the layers. Definitely a top layer that could slide off of the more solid layer underneath. About 6 inches or so. Enough to take you for a ride. Looking at the entrance it was a tow side turn for me. Heel for Forrest. Deciding we needed a slope cut as a last test, Forrest and Chris gave me the go to test it out. I had Chris hold onto Cody for this one and Forrest shot pics. Here is the result.
Cody could barely be contained and once I was clear that was enough for him.

Forrest found good chuting.
I lost him in the right wishbone, but he ripped the apron.
Chris coming down.
Our lines.
This turned out to be one of the best days of the season. Sunny skies, fantastic pow, and no wind.
The word epic doesn't even touch a day like this. It's better than that.

No matter how much I enjoy the resorts I ride now, your posts keep convincing me there is another whole level of riding to aspire to! One day I hope to get there, but for now I will just keep eating up the adventures of killclimmz and Cody the wonderdog!

No doubt, i love the pictures and hope to do some BC in the next few years as i find myself getting to pow days early and getting bored once it gets all chopped up by everyone...so being able to have a hill all to myself would be like sex.